Page 29 - The Rapture Question by John F. Walvoord

The Rapture Question: Revised and Enlarged Edition
the general equality of Gentile and Jew is clearly predicted in
the Old Testament. He stated, “Clearly the equality of Gen­
tile with Jew was predicted in the Old Testament.”6 A search
of his argument for proof texts on this point, however, reveals
none whatever.
The fact is that the thought of equality of Jew and Gentile
was never mentioned in the great kingdom passages of the Old
Testament. The Jews correctly interpreted such passages as
Isaiah 61:5-6 as indicating their supremacy in the predicted
kingdom age: “Aliens will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will
work your fields and vineyards. And you will be called priests
of the Lord, you will be named ministers of our God. You will
feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will
boast.” Isaiah 2:1-4 teaches the same truth of Israel’s exalta­
tion in the kingdom age. The seat of government shall be in
Jerusalem and from Zion the law will go forth.
It is of course true that Gentiles are promised great
blessing in the kingdom age. They are promised salvation,
material blessing, peace, tranquillity, and a share in the glory
of that era. None of these promised blessings are extended to
Gentiles on the ground of equality, however, and this is the
point of the mystery.
The real issue is whether Jews and Gentiles are presented
as the same body in the Old Testament. Our examination of
the Old Testament fails to sustain this idea. The distinct
character of the present age is further shown by the fact that
the Old Testament in its prophetic foreview pictures Israel in
the millennial kingdom, which is quite different from the pur­
pose of God in the present age. Only if the amillenarian
method of spiritualizing Old Testament passages is adopted
can the present age be made to conform. Allis as an amillenar­
ian admitted this when he wrote: “This conception of the
mystery is entirely due to the insistence of Dispensationalists
that the kingdom promises to Israel must be literally fulfilled,
and therefore that the complete equality of Jew with Gentile in

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